Training in substance-assisted psychotherapy
For about 10 years it has become increasingly clear that the field of substance-assisted therapy with psychedelics—especially psilocybin, LSD and MDMA—is on an upswing. New experimental research and therapy studies are being carried out and published on an ongoing basis. Meanwhile, "key opinion leaders" in the psychiatric field have opined on the topic and are shaping the new image of these extraordinary drugs.
As a consequence of these developments, the need for psychotherapists with the necessary specialist knowledge and sound practical training, including self-experience with the medications they use, is growing. Groups that conduct therapy studies responded first, by way of training their study therapists. These include COMPASS and MAPS. The Swiss Medical Association for Psycholytic Therapy (SÄPT) and the California Institute for Integral Studies (CIIS) offer training based on long tradition with extensive experience. Their approaches are oriented more toward comprehensive education than to specific processes.
In the following, the training courses of these various institutions are briefly presented.